diff --git a/plugins/nf-azure/src/main/nextflow/cloud/azure/batch/AzBatchService.groovy b/plugins/nf-azure/src/main/nextflow/cloud/azure/batch/AzBatchService.groovy
index 5d9f9f1596..08e9d3e11b 100644
--- a/plugins/nf-azure/src/main/nextflow/cloud/azure/batch/AzBatchService.groovy
+++ b/plugins/nf-azure/src/main/nextflow/cloud/azure/batch/AzBatchService.groovy
@@ -835,7 +835,7 @@ class AzBatchService implements Closeable {
         }
 
         // otherwise return a StartTask object with the start task command and resource files
-        return new BatchStartTask(startCmd.join('; '))
+        return new BatchStartTask(startCmd.join(' && '))
             .setResourceFiles(resourceFiles)
             .setUserIdentity(userIdentity(opts.privileged, null, AutoUserScope.POOL))
     }
diff --git a/plugins/nf-azure/src/test/nextflow/cloud/azure/batch/AzBatchServiceTest.groovy b/plugins/nf-azure/src/test/nextflow/cloud/azure/batch/AzBatchServiceTest.groovy
index 353383dcd4..afdedfee8c 100644
--- a/plugins/nf-azure/src/test/nextflow/cloud/azure/batch/AzBatchServiceTest.groovy
+++ b/plugins/nf-azure/src/test/nextflow/cloud/azure/batch/AzBatchServiceTest.groovy
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@ class AzBatchServiceTest extends Specification {
         when:
         def configuredStartTask = svc.createStartTask( new AzStartTaskOpts(script: 'echo hello-world') )
         then:
-        configuredStartTask.commandLine == 'bash -c "chmod +x azcopy && mkdir $AZ_BATCH_NODE_SHARED_DIR/bin/ && cp azcopy $AZ_BATCH_NODE_SHARED_DIR/bin/"; bash -c \'echo hello-world\''
+        configuredStartTask.commandLine == 'bash -c "chmod +x azcopy && mkdir $AZ_BATCH_NODE_SHARED_DIR/bin/ && cp azcopy $AZ_BATCH_NODE_SHARED_DIR/bin/" && bash -c \'echo hello-world\''
         and:
         configuredStartTask.resourceFiles.size()==1
         configuredStartTask.resourceFiles.first().filePath == 'azcopy'